


The Unexpected Wife

by Celandine



Category: History Boys (2006)
Genre: Community: adventdrabbles, Ficlet, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-08
Updated: 2010-12-08
Packaged: 2017-10-13 13:59:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/138149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Celandine/pseuds/Celandine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mentorship is not always quite the friendship it seems to be.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Unexpected Wife

**Author's Note:**

  * For [koshweasley](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=koshweasley).



Hector had been teaching at Cutlers for two years when Dorothy arrived, a fresh new face in the History department. He rather took her under his wing, despite being in English himself; English then, not the abominable General Studies to which he was later assigned, although from the start he had included plenty of material that was not on the approved curriculum for either O levels or A levels.

They had tea together most days, often in the staff room, sometimes in Hector's room, occasionally Dorothy's. After a while Dorothy noticed a pattern to their conversations. Each location seemed to inspire particular topics. In the staff room it was likely to be current events, and the other staff might join in. In Hector's domain he held forth on his special loves of modern theatre and cinema and popular music; "modern" to Hector meaning twentieth century, but not necessarily _contemporary_. As the years went on, his taste diverged farther and farther from the contemporary, and settled firmly in the first half of the century instead.

They didn't have tea in Dorothy's room as often. When they did it was more personal matters that became the subjects of conversation. Dorothy's marriage was already falling apart, and she referred to that obliquely. Hector was courtly and sympathetic, but with no hint that he might take any personal interest, then or ever, in her marital state.

Hector wore no wedding ring. Eventually, as she grew to know him, Dorothy concluded that when it came to women, Hector was not that way inclined. There was always some boy of whom he spoke with especial fondness, and when that particular boy left school, Hector would mope for a time, until another came along on whom he could lavish his attention. It came as an enormous shock to Dorothy, five years after she began teaching, to learn that Hector had been married all along. In all those many, many hours of conversation, he had never once mentioned his wife.

**Author's Note:**

> For koshweasley who wanted Hector/Mrs. Lintott, prompt "discussing relationships".


End file.
